Guide dog guidelines: Many don't know how to act around a service dog

KVEO - When walking into Irma Ramirez's office, it's hard to tell how Ramirez is different from most people.

That is until you see the head of a golden retriever pop around her desk.

Kira is Ramirez's guide dog.

Ramirez is blind and has been for the last 17 years.

"The reason I made the decision is because I felt more independent, more freedom for me instead of a cane," she explains.

But that freedom is often hindered by people who don't understand what a guide dog like Kira does.

"If I go to the mall and I am working with her, people distract her by touching her while she is doing her work. That is hard for me because that can put me in danger because she is not focusing anymore directly on her work," says Ramirez.

It's Kira's responsibility to guide Ramirez where ever she goes.

By law, guide dogs are legally allowed to go into any public location.